When his front door opened, he saw his fatherin the doorway. Lance’s jaw clenched, but he resumed packing hiscardboard box.
“Any concerns with the contract I should knowabout?” His father asked.
“None. I left everything on your desk.”
His father stuffed his hands in his pockets.“You’re not changing your mind?”
“No, I’m not.” He grabbed the photo of himand Amelia.
“Have you read today’s paper?”
“I’ve read enough from the press.” If heheard another word against Chantelle, he may rant on Facebook likeeveryone else was doing. Why shouldn’t they get a piece of hismind?
“I think you should, son. It explainseverything.” His father cleared his throat. “It explains things Inever understood. I guess... I didn’t want to.”
His father was getting personal? On the job?What article was he talking about?
“For what it’s worth...” His father paused.Was that remorse in his eyes? Lance had never seen him thisvulnerable. “Your mother and I are sorry.”
He stepped back out into the hall, but Lancecalled out to him.
“Dad?”
His father pivoted to face him. “Yes?”
“Thanks.” That’s all he had, and it seemed toplease his father. The moment shocked Lance. He didn’t know whatelse to say.
His dad disappeared into the hallway, andLance rubbed his eyes. Did he hear correctly? His fatherapologized. Perhaps he needed to pull up the article and read it.He looked outside his office window, noting the grayish cast to thelight. People with umbrellas walked up and down the sidewalk, and afew holes and hollows formed puddles.
Then his phone jumbled on the table.Andrea?
“Can I call you back?” He asked. “I’m packingup my office.”
“Have you been on social media? This is amess.”
“I’ve seen a few comments. It’ll blow over.”The thought sounded good.
“I think you and I need to issue astatement.”
“Who leaked the story, Andrea? Do you know?”He asked.
Silence.
“Andrea?”
“I fired him so it’s over,” she said.
“Fired whom?”
“It was my agent, Lance. He said he did it toboost my career. He thought the public would sympathize with me,”Andrea said.
Adrenaline rushed through Lance’s body. Thenhe pushed his rolling office chair back, only for it to hit hisbookshelf. He paced the floor with his phone in hand. “Have yousaid anything?”
“I’ve gone off the grid. The comments are toomuch. Someone even commented that it was my fault and I’m tooindependent. Ugh! People!”
“Calm down. I know the feeling.” He rubbed athis chin. “When are you talking about releasing a statement?”
“I have a new agent and she thinks the soonerthe better. She thinks a live interview on my page will work. Ihave more followers on Instagram so I can turn the commentsoff.”
“I don’t care to be on camera.”
She sighed. “What else can we do?”
Lance rubbed the back of his head. “Whatabout a regular interview? I’m sure there are tons of magazineswanting your statement.”
“They do.”
“Tell them you’ll give them an interview onone condition. They print what you and I saw verbatim. Anydeviation and they get no exclusive.”
“There is one reporter that reached out thatI like. She claims she can have the story up by this evening. Sheruns her own magazine, so she has more control.”
“That’ll work.” Lance’s phone beeped with atext from Grant.
6:30 PM... Grant: Read this. NOW.
Lance added. “I’ll send you my comments andyou can relay them to her.”
“Perfect.” Andrea groaned. “I’m so sorry,Lance.”
He pulled up the article from Grant. Was thisthe same story that his father mentioned? “Me too. It’s going to beokay. Take care.” He hung up and read the article.
If you’re reading this, then you know LanceTaylor’s engagement to Andrea Williams is over. Some blame me. Ican’t fault them. I had a history with Lance, but once you hear ourstory, I hope you find compassion in your heart. If not, I told thetruth.
I met Lance when I was in high school. Wewere friends at first, but things changed once he lost his sister.Amelia Taylor. You know her. Best swimmer in town!
Lance and I made our share of mistakes. Hedid the right thing in asking me to marry him, but we were told wewere too young. Another tragedy broke our hearts ten years ago. Ileft after he told me it would be better.
We didn’t fight for each other back then,but I moved on thinking it was best. Coming back here, I took achance when I saw him again. It didn’t bother me at first that hewas marrying someone else, but I fell in love with him all overagain. He felt the same way. We didn’t go behind anyone’s back.
I wanted to do the right thing. So didLance. He and Andrea parted ways on their own. I didn’t break themup. The only thing I’m guilty of is loving a man whose familythought I wasn’t good enough for him. I may never be, but if you’veever lost a love and had the chance to win it back, would you takeit?
I love this town and the people. You gave memy first chance as a writer in Delta Heights. I don’t know if I’llstay or go, but this place is home.
Lance clutched his phone. Chantelle. Wherewas she? Looking through his other messages, he saw hers from theother day. How did he miss it? Lance packed the rest of his thingsin a hurry. He wasn’t losing her again.
Chapter 26
Chantelle looked over the grassy fields onemore time. Wild grass and weeds grew at the shoulders and in theditches. Pebbles bounced along the road while she listened to thewhinnying of horses in the nearby field. Dry dust and grass seepedthrough her nose and she licked her lips to relieve her drymouth.
She almost ignored the call from Brenda, butit was better to face the truth. What surprised her was they didn’tfire her. They appreciated her honesty in her article and wantedher to stay with them.
“You’re kidding?” Chantelle tucked the curlsbehind her ear as they blew in the wind.
“I’m serious. The board doesn’t want to loseone of its best writers. Congratulations!”
Chantelle only sighed. “Thank you. Iappreciate it, but...”
“But what? Chantelle, I thought this was whatyou wanted? You’re climbing up the ladder. I’ll even give you morefreedom with your
